SYDNEY STREET

New Zealand Times, Volume LII, Issue 12094, 23 March 1925, Page 6

SYDNEY STREET

About the tramway deviation the deputation was slightly peremptory in its representations to the Attorney-Gen-era). Apparently the shortening of the tramway Karori-wards by Sydney street has some very strong supporters. These are opposed) hy some persons—not a few—of -humanitarian spirit, who insist that the running of trams on the new route demanded will be bad- for the patients in the Bowen street hospital. That will, of course, prevent sleep, and he harassing to the nerves; disturbances enough to retard l recovery, and even cause death instead of the recovery to he in many cases legitimately expected. The hospital was established long before this tramway deviation was thought of. Though a private. hospital it is a public humanitarian benefit, not a mansion in which wealthy luxury lives in pampered ease. The advocates for the tram deviation are no doubt ready to admit all this, and to suggest that nevertheless the hospital business can be removed to another site, a costly operation entailing liability to the payment by the city for the loss incidental to a legitimate prior business. But there is another objection to the diversion of the tramlines. The day is not far off when tram rails will he things of the past. It is well understood that the future in Wellington will be served bv the railless fram, and by great ’buses running free on bitumen surfaces. This has actually come to pass in many cities elsewhere, with traffic difficulties similar to ours. In face of this certainty it would be very imprudent to lay down a set of tram rails anywhere in the city where tram rails at present are not. When the day of the newer tractions arrives a Sydney street diversion will cause no nuisance and entail no compensation. Then the diversion will be possible without causing suffering to the sick and helpless.